Healthcare

Coming from an extremely conservative background, I shouldn't be surprised that so many of my friends are upset about the healthcare reform legislation that passed last night. I went to a Baptist college. I live in Mississippi. I'm hearing a lot of "end of the world" type of talk. A lot.

I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Maybe it's because I tend to shy away from politics. This also is not surprising - my stepfather is one of the most militantly conservative Republicans I've ever come across, and pretty much the only tv allowed in our house was either a Sunday morning televised sermon or Fox News. My step-dad would despise my politics, if we were to talk about them. I avoid the subject as much as possible when I go home.


It's not the opposition to the healthcare bill that really surprises me. I understand the criticisms of the bill. It's the vehement way that my friends are saying that no good can come of this. No good? My part-time job does in fact offer a healthcare plan. The premiums are around $500 a month. The deductible is $5000 a year. We don't spend anywhere near $5000 on doctor visits a year right now.. we couldn't. We can't. I'm afraid all the time about what would happen if one of us were to be seriously ill. Eric had a bad sinus infection earlier this winter and we had to borrow money just so he could get antibiotics. What if it had been worse? What would we do? At least now we'll get an option.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand the healthcare bill. But you know what? I bet my friends don't either. I know that it's easy to idealize something you don't fully understand. But from the way I see it, it's easier to fear what we don't understand. Be hopeful and generous of spirit rather than fearful and suspicious. Politics are really irrelevant anyway.

My bad

Wow.. I should've known better than to start a blog right before the beginning of my first semester in four years.

Actually, a big part of my lack of updating (prepare yourself, this is a really lame excuse) is that I can't find the USB cable for my digital camera. I had a nice Welcome-to-Spring post ready, complete with a picture of Eric stabbing a snowman. I have an 'I won a contest!' post, but really, you have to see this belt to believe it. I also have an I'm-newly-blond-and-have-new-glasses post waiting. Not to mention the "We bought a puppy!!" post. But trust me. You're going to want to see this little guy.

I know the cable is here somewhere, but we're still doing a lot of rearranging and settling. Does it normally take this long to "move in" to a place you've already lived for two years?

By the way, as of midterms I have all As! In fact, in my ethics class so far my lowest grade is a 97. No joke. I still get a little freaked out by the work load, but it's Spring Break so I have a chance to get ahead a little.

Yeah, I turned into that student who does homework during Spring Break.

Our Tree

I relate a lot of the things that happen to me to what a younger version of myself would have thought about whatever is happening. Sometimes it's wearing an outfit I would've admired but not been brave enough to wear (actually that happens a lot lately - I've really defined and expanded my personal style over the past year). Sometimes it's seeing how far I've come. Sometimes it's the realization of a new lesson in life. And I'll be honest.. sometimes it's wanting to go back and show off a little - You'll never believe this shit.. We're finally able to convince people that we're grownups!!

Whatever the reason-de-jour, I think about little-me a lot. The thirteen-year-old version of Amy would be very impressed with our life right now. Trust. Not long ago, it occurred to me that 13-year-old Amy is also HALF-MY-AGE Amy. Like.. really truly one-half of my life has happened since I was thirteen.. When the fuck did that happen? Oh right. Over the past thirteen-or-so years.

Life's a little different than I thought it would turn out back then. I didn't end up with any of the shaggy-haired skateboard boys I crushed on back then.. I ended up with a shaggy-haired skateboard boy I crush on NOW. (We're far too sensible to ride skateboards now - I'm not saying we're old, but I do know that things ache now that never did before. Besides, we have cars and that wins.)

Once in awhile I think that maybe the 90s would have been SO MUCH COOLER if I had been more aware at the time of .. well, how cool the 90s were. Or maybe knowing would have ruined it.



Or maybe, maybe ... we just knew all along.